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A Johnny Cash like figure only from Woodstock 69. The man in black with buckskin jacket took to the microphone and raised his guitar. He would be our Captain. He alone would take us to places old and new. We the crew, Coronation Hall our ship… we set sail on our magical voyage. In just over an hour and a half regretfully we returned to dock. To say I loved this concert would be an understatement. It was near spiritual for me. Come back anytime Neil.

Your Crew awaits.

Set list included but was not limited to; Comes A Time, Love is a Rose, Old King, War of Man, Stand Tall, Old Man, Helpless, Heart of Gold, Long May You Run, I'm Glad I Found You and more.

Under the full moon, what a night it was in the village of Omeemee, nestled in the Pigeon River Valley.

What a time it's been building up to this past/present honoring event.

What a body of work to draw from so eloquently.

Smiles all around.

And that river keeps on flowing.

Lloyd W.

Port Carling, Ontario

Thanks Lloyd. Your photo of the moon rising over Omemee is spectacular. What a time, indeed. What a body of work, indeed. Smiles all around. Water is life. Keep it flowing, brother.

We might add that Director Daryl Hannah did an outstanding job with the production. The set, lighting, camera angles, and audio were top notch. A very intimate evening captured such that we're pretty certain it would have made the late Jonathan Demme very proud. The camera shots during "Mother Earth" were some of the most unique and engaging shots we have ever seen in a live musical production. (The webcast can be re-streamed here.)

And we were sent the following note from Neil Young & the Archives Team (which went into our SPAM folder):

Thrasher Wheat,

Thanks for creating a Neil Young Archives account!

Between now and June 30, you’ll have free access to the entire Neil Young Archives with unlimited streaming. So have at it! (And don’t worry; once your trial is up, you’ll be able to sign up for a subscription at a very modest cost.)

These digital archives are the first of their kind: the best possible music streaming experience, coupled with access to Neil’s personal archives (videos, photographs, original manuscripts, press, letters, and more). We are so proud and excited to share it with the world—and while we may be the first, we’re hoping we’re not the last.

If you have any questions, check out our FAQ or drop us a line. And be sure to review the audio setup page to make sure you’re ready for the best possible listening experience.

Enjoy!

Neil Young & the Archives Team

And thanks Neil and the Archives Team from our hearts to yours! It looks like your 2017 touring sabbatical was a wise investment.

Young naturally makes a big deal out of the audio quality, which improves the stronger your connection gets. He even devotes his introductory message to a long diatribe about Apple's music quality choices on top of explaining how the archive works. Young would prefer that you listen on a computer, and even has a guide to help set up access on your home stereo.

Overkill? You bet. And ultimately, it's serving as a sales pitch for Xstream. However, it's still miles above the typical musician page offering the occasional freebie and a few music videos. This is an insight into Young's entire history as an artist, not just a promotion for his latest album.

Exactly. Neil Young does whatever the fuck he wants. And that's why we love him so.

Well, we can't wait to see what 2018 brings!

ps - and a nice little story from Randy Bachman.

Meet Barry Killen. He found my cell on the road and called a friend to safely return it. He said all he wanted was a selfie but I have 2 tix to Neil Young's show tonight so we're going to rock out. People like this make me so proud to be Canadian! Thanks, Barry! pic.twitter.com/Za8ARBFwVF

14 Comments:

It was a great Day. The concert was quite an experience. Shakey was shakey. More bum notes than I've ever heard him play. My heart was in my throat the whole time, could barely enjoy it, ha ha. Lots of great moments though. What a day

I finally got to watch the "Home Town" concert last night. I was working when it was on live, so I'm grateful it was available to watch after the fact. Neil was a bit nervous as he mentioned himself, but the nerves just added another layer to his music. I loved it when he said....

"Every time I makes a mistake I cheer for myself inside, there aren't enough mistakes. The world has cleaned up too many of it's mistakes, everything is perfect. Too many programs correcting things... But never worry, right here in this little world, anything can happen".

That statment sums up Neil Young's entire career, and is what I admire most about this man. He embraces his humanity. In these times of technology with it's tendency to disconnect us from each other, yet create the illusion of the opposite, I found this particular statement comforting, and reassuring.

As for the music played; it felt appropriate that playing in the town he lived in as a child he would cover songs that looked back on his career with fondness, yet represent the journey his life has taken him on. Each time I've seen Neil play solo his set list has told a story, and this performance was no exception. Only one new song was played ( Stand Tall ), everything else was just classic Neil. He covered all the bases in telling his journey from Omemee to now. Serving up some real gems that represent some of his best work in the process.

I loved the tree of hats, and the old tube T.V.'s out in the parking lot. Everyone outside looked cold and relaxed all at the same time. In typical Neil fashion he wandered around constantly between songs even though he stuck to his set list, and had a particular hat for certain songs. Again.... part of his storyline. He has wore many hats throughout his career and some have been perceived as mistakes to some of his fan base, as well as to himself at times. He has always been a story teller and this show was another great example.

The intimate setting really served the event which was obviously the whole point, and I'm sure like all of us here at Thrashers I feel grateful Neil is still with us creating, and challenging us with this beautiful event.

I'm watching the concert right now. I blame the bum guitar notes on the temperature in the room, noting how all the attendees were bundled up in hats and parkas, even though he sheds his jacket, probably because there was some direct space heating on the stage. The guitars may have been set up on the stage to acclimate, but their placement relative to the heat and cold makes for very difficult tuning stability, especially with the old guitars.

Thanks Dan. Glad you got to catch the re-stream. definitely must see Neil TV, for sure.

And we might add that Director Daryl Hannah did an outstanding job with the production. The set, lighting, camera angles, and audio were top notch. A very intimate evening captured such that we're pretty certain it would have made the late Jonathan Demme very proud. The camera shots during "Mother Earth" were some of the most unique and engaging shots we have ever seen in a live musical production.

we hope to be sharing some eyewitness reports from attendees who were either in the room or outside.

I was mistaken about the audience being bundled up - those were the people outside, so inside the hall the temps were more controlled. However, I'd still blame the tuning stability on issues such as temperature fluctuations- from bus to stands on stage with lots of people movement in and out, doors opening, closing, etc. Also humidity control can be a real bear this time of year, with furnaces and cold air wildly drying everything up. NY is a fussy pro, so I know he heard those bad notes, but he wasn't going to stop the show and yell at someone.

My faith in Neil was flagging .... I should know better by now ... The show was wonderful . The archives are fun , and I havent even scratched the surface yet . And The Visitor is great ! The Promise Of The Real have breathed new life into Neil . I cant wait to see what the future brings .

Always a challenge on Old Man, when tuned down to DGCFAD. Seems that Am(Gm) easily sounds not so good, when D(C)is ok. But I think when Neil is standing and strumming, he tend to place his right hand higher up on the neck than in the old days.The lowest strings seems to loose sustain and distort a bit. But, if that is what he like to do, its ok, the song is getting through.

Yeah Neil flubbed a few notes..what are ya gonna do? It was a great show to watch - had to activate my VPN to get around the region lock. My favorite part "I'm gonna need a beer after this next song" before Don't Be Denied

I think Neil was sick during the Omemee show, asking for a cup of tea from a Road Eye as he struggled with his voice a bit. I have never seen Neil struggle with vocals thru 20 shows. /and I saw him play live not too long ago in Idaho, and the vocals were excellent, as usual. I think a sore throat may be the culprit. Perhaps age is a factor, but less so, I believe than the ailment of the moment. It was a great show anyway, for many reasons, and it warms my heart to see Neil so active, with a great new album, and launching his Archives on-line, in such an impressive format. This guy is incredible. He pushes the envelope in whatever arena he enters. I think Neil is far from done with the excellent singing and songwriting. Who else loved the acoustic Stand Tall he busted out? Killer. I am still wondering about the song Carnival and still thinking it is all about Trump and the "Funhouse" of current American politics. Alan in Seattle